Lafarge has been found guilty of financing terrorism and violating international sanctions by a French court, while several of its former executives have been handed jail sentences in a case that has put corporate ethics firmly under the spotlight.
Europe
Posted inCryptocurrency and Digital Assets
Crypto rules may diverge across jurisdictions, but EU’s MiCA likely to prove most attractive
One of the most common ways for a jurisdiction to attract the attention—and investment—of a particular industry is to offer them a regulatory regime that is different and provides enough scope for players in the sector to leverage opportunities for growth.
Posted inRegulatory Policy
EU and U.K. asset managers must adapt for T+1 settlement now to start testing in 2027
On Oct. 11, 2027, the EU, U.K., and Switzerland will move to T+1 securities settlement. The date may seem distant, but the challenges are considerable.
Posted inRisk Management
Geopolitical risks and global threats drive emerging national security compliance teams
Geopolitical uncertainty is becoming the defining feature of the decade, and global powers are increasingly using geo-economic power to promote national interest and defend their critical interests. Meanwhile, cross-border threats to critical infrastructure are becoming more varied and powerful. Multinational companies, consultants, and global law firms are responding by setting up dedicated national security teams. […]
Posted inRisk Management
New report shows how illegal mining intersects with financial crimes
Hundreds of billions of dollars in illicit funds move through the global financial system each year through the operations of environmental crimes linked to transnational criminal organizations. Illegal mining, in particular, directly exposes global financial institutions (FIs) to a wide range of legal and compliance risks, as well as financial crimes, absent robust risk mitigation measures.
Posted inEurope
Europe’s groundbreaking crypto rules put at risk by delays in implementation
Europe may have taken the lead in attempting to regulate cryptoasset firms before any other major jurisdiction, but a year after the ground-breaking rules came into force, it does not necessarily follow that they are robust or that the industry they are meant to hold accountable is embracing them.
Posted inAnti-Bribery
Long-running corruption scandal adds €25.8m fine to billions already paid globally
The Netherlands Public Prosecution Office has fined a company linked to a U.S.-sanctioned Israeli businessman €25.8 million ($29.9 million) for bribing officials in the Congo. The case began in 2018 and relates to bribes paid in 2010-2011, demonstrating the slow and complex process often involved in such investigations.
Posted inEurope
Compliance must focus on corruption as EU and U.K. seek to tackle rising risks
Corruption isn’t something that happens somewhere else, in other countries and committed by other people. Nowhere is corruption-proof, and new rules being introduced in the EU and the U.K. aim to focus compliance officers on the full gamut of risks in all jurisdictions and every sector.
Posted inEurope
U.K. and EU commit to extending Russian sanctions and strengthening enforcement
As the U.S. relaxes some Russian sanctions to ease oil flows, the U.K. government has published a new Strategic Approach to Sanctions Enforcement, indicating that it does not intend to relax its focus on prosecuting sanctions breaches.
Posted inEurope
Luxury brands told to tighten AML compliance as Dutch regulator fines Louis Vuitton
Money laundering is no longer a concern just for financial services and real estate. It is everybody’s business. But are most businesses adequately prepared for tighter AML rules? What does compliance need to know?